ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To identify the type of care provided by informal carers of dependent persons and the repercussions this care might have on the health of the carers, and to find the characteristics of both informal carers and cared-for people. DESIGN: An observational cross-sectional study. SETTING: This study was conducted in various towns in the province of Barcelona between January and December 1997 in primary health care. PARTICIPANTS: Those taking part were 240 informal carers (IC) for dependent persons. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The ICUB 97 questionnaire was the data-gathering instrument. It was validated previously by the research team and based on the fourteen needs of the Virginia Henderson nursing model. The questionnaire was filled in at a personal interview. The level of dependence of people cared for was evaluated with the Barthel and Philadelphia Geriatric Center indices. The analysis of the results reflected that the greater the level of dependence of the person cared for, the more care is provided by the carer. The main repercussions of caring on the health of the carers were: back pain (73%), tiredness (72%), reduced leisure time (73%), insomnia (65%), anxiety (72%) and changes in family life (54%). Repercussions that correlated most closely with the fact of caring were: sleep disorders, family economy, personal development and leisure, middle age and having few educational qualifications. CONCLUSIONS: Most carers are middle-aged women performing multiple care tasks. This work causes their quality of life to deteriorate.
Subject(s)
Caregivers , Family , Health Status , Aged , Anxiety/etiology , Back Pain/etiology , Caregivers/psychology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Fatigue/etiology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Models, Theoretical , Quality of Life , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/etiology , Spain , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Objetivos. Identificar el tipo de cuidados que prestan los cuidadores informales de personas dependientes y las repercusiones que pueden ocasionar estos cuidados en la salud del cuidador, así como conocer las características de los cuidadores informales y las de las personas cuidadas. Diseño. Se presenta un estudio observacional de tipo transversal. Emplazamiento. Este estudio se ha realizado en varios municipios de la provincia de Barcelona, de enero a diciembre de 1997, en el ámbito de la atención primaria de salud. Participantes. Los sujetos de estudio fueron 240 cuidadores informales (CI) de personas dependientes. Mediciones y resultados principales. El instrumento de recogida de datos fue el cuestionario ICUB 97, validado previamente por el equipo investigador, que está basado en las 14 necesidades del modelo de enfermería de Virginia Henderson. El cuestionario se cumplimentó a través de entrevista personal. El nivel de dependencia de las personas cuidadas se evaluó con los índices de Barthel y Philadelphia Geriatric Center. El análisis de los resultados reflejó que cuanto mayor es el nivel de dependencia de la persona cuidada, más cuidados presta el cuidador. Las principales repercusiones que ocasiona el hecho de cuidar en la salud de los cuidadores son: dolor de espalda (73 por ciento), cansancio (72 por ciento), disminución del tiempo de ocio (73 por ciento), insomnio (65 por ciento), ansiedad (72 por ciento) y alteraciones en la vida familiar (54 por ciento), y las que más se correlacionan con este hecho de cuidar son: alteraciones del sueño, economía, desarrollo personal y ocio. Conclusiones. La mayoría de personas cuidadoras son mujeres de mediana edad que realizan múltiples tareas de cuidados y dicha labor repercute en un deterioro de su calidad de vida (AU)
Subject(s)
Middle Aged , Aged , Male , Female , Humans , Caregivers , Family , Health Status , Spain , Models, Theoretical , Surveys and Questionnaires , Quality of Life , Back Pain , Anxiety , Cross-Sectional Studies , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders , FatigueABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results of a tobacco dependency clinic after 41 months functioning. DESIGN: A descriptive and retrospective study. SETTING: The tobacco dependency clinic of the Primary Care team at Sant Just Desvern. PARTICIPANTS: 134 smokers who asked for an interview with the nurse in charge of the clinic were attended. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: 47.01% wanted to stop smoking: 66.42% anticipated difficulties in achieving this. Treatment was counter-indicated in 17.16% of the smokers. 57 people (42.54%) stopped smoking of whom 26 then restarted. 35 smokers (26.12%) cut down and 17 (12.69%) changed their attitude. CONCLUSIONS: The clinic fulfilled its initial objective, but we must move towards a strategy of systematic intervention on all smokers within the general clinics.
Subject(s)
Ambulatory Care Facilities , Primary Health Care , Tobacco Use Disorder/therapy , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Algorithms , Attitude to Health , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies , Sex Factors , Smoking Cessation , Spain , Time Factors , Tobacco Use Disorder/prevention & controlABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results of nursing staff putting into practice a number of health prevention and promotion schemes, with particular emphasis on the follow-up of the health problems detected. DESIGN: A crossover study. SITE. A care unit of the Sant Just Desvern Primary Care team. PATIENTS: A total of 136 people were seen. 58% were men and 42% women. Their average age was 39.30 +/- 16. MAIN MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The risk factors found were: tobacco, alcohol, exercise, arterial tension, cholesterol, weight, dental and oral hygiene, gynecological check-ups, self-examination of breasts and anti-tetanus, German measles and flu vaccinations. Using the clinical records it was found that 42.64% were smokers; 1.58% were alcoholics and 20.63% consumed an excessive amount of alcohol; 47.58% were sedentary; 17.09% were diagnosed with dyslipaemia; and 1.58% with hypertension. After the intervention, 18.96% gave up smoking and 14.28% of excessive drinkers managed to stop. 76.47% of women advised to attend the gynaecologist did so. 89.61% of patients completed the series of anti-tetanus vaccinations. CONCLUSIONS: The favorable response of the population to a periodic health check-up should be emphasised. The changes in life-style brought about after the detection and subsequent follow-up of health problems was extremely positive.
